Title: Respiratory Tract Infection among Children below 5 Years of Age- A Retrospective Study
Authors: Tej Pal, Shaksham Srivastava
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i12.163
Abstract
Background: Respiratory tract infection refers to any of a number of infectious diseases involving the respiratory tract. The present study was conducted to analyze RTI in children below 5 years of age.
Materials & Methods: It included 528 children below 5 years of age. Children having at least one of the following symptoms such cough, runny nose, ear discharge, and sore throat, which might be associated with fever, chest retractions, and fast breathing within the last 2 weeks, were considered.
Results: out of 528 children boys were 280 and girls were 295. The difference was non- significant (P-1). Symptoms in children were cold (270), cough (265), sore throat (27), ear discharge (12), associated fever (325), associated fever & fast breathing (8). The difference was significant (P-0.02). Most of the children were from urban (340) while 188 were from rural area. The difference was significant (P-0.01). 315 children were residing in overcrowding area while 213 were not. The difference was significant (P-0.021). 270 children had birth weight <2.5 kg whereas 258 had >2.5 kg. The difference was non- significant (P-0.5). In 90 children, mothers were illiterate while in 438 children, mothers were literate. The difference was significant (P-0.001).
Conclusion: Children are more prone to develop respiratory tract infection. Symptoms include sore throat, cold, running nose, cough, fever and ear discharge. Mothers are literate in most of the cases.
Keywords: Cough, Sore throat, Respiratory tract infection.
References
- Rant CC, Emery D, Milne T, Coster G, Forrest CB, Wall CR, et al. Risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia in preschool- aged children. J Paediatr Child Health. 2012; 48:402-12.
- B roor S, Pandey RM, Ghosh M, Maitreyi RS, Lodha R, Singhal T, et al. Risk factors for severe acute lower respiratory tract infection in under-five children. Indian Pediatr. 2001; 38:1361-9.
- Mahalanabis D, Gupta S, Paul D, Gupta A, Lahiri M, Khaled MA. Risk factors for pneumonia in infants and young children and the role of solid fuel for cooking: a case-control study. Epidemiol Infect. 2002; 129:65-71.
- Murray EL, Brondi L, Kleinbaum D, McGowan JE, Van Mels C, Brooks WA, et al. Cooking fuel type, household ventilation, and the risk of acute lower respiratory illness in urban Bangladeshi children: a longitudinal study. Indoor Air. 2012; 22:132-9.
- A hmad I, Shaheen N, Khan S. Risk factors for pneumonia among hospitalized children between 2 months to 5 years. Pak J Med Sci. 2011; 19:89-94.
- Shah N, Ramankutty V, Premila PG, Sathy N. Risk factors for severe pneumonia in children in south Kerala: a hospital-based casecontrol study. J Trop Pediatr. 1994; 40:201-6.
- Dhimal M, Dhakal P, Shrestha N, Baral K, Maskey M. Environmental burden of acute respiratory infection and pneumonia due to indoor smoke in Dhading. J Nepal Heal Res Counc. 2010; 8:1–4.
- Vashishtha VM. Current status of tuberculosis and acute respiratory infections in India: Much more needs to be done! Indian Pediatr. 2010; 47:88–9.
- Rahman MM, Shahidullah M. Risk factors for acute respiratory infections among the slum infants of Dhaka city. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull. 2001; 27:55–62.
- Smith KR, McCracken JP, Weber MW, Hubbard A, Jenny A, Thompson LM, et al. Effect of reduction in household air pollution on childhood pneumonia in Guatemala (RESPIRE): a randomized controlled trial. Lancet. 2011; 378:1717-26.